It's Okay to Love Them Both
by mrs.salvatore39
Summary: a two shot based on 2x22. request fic, M for second chapter. what happens after the screen fades to black?
1. As Damon Lays Dying

_a/n: I have been putting off writing this request for a while now, which I sincerely apologize for. The truth of the matter is, I wasn't entirely sure what to do for this episode. It's such an incredible, heartbreaking episode full on hearting, epic moments and I just didn't know how to make it my own without ruining the scenes, never mind keeping it logical. Of course we were all screaming for something more to happen as Damon lay dying, but let's be reasonable- he's dying. Not exactly his shining moment to prove how manly and great he is in the sack. With that said, I've now gone back and watched the scene and I think I've come to a reasonable conclusion. I hope you all like it Happy Reading._

_p.s. the show never tells us how Elena gets Damon back to the Boarding House from town square, considering that her car is at the Boarding House, where she left it after being kidnapped by the sheriff, but for arguments sake and for the flow of the story, let's say Damon drove her car there to find her…can we agree to use our imaginations? hehe_

_Dedicated to loveyoualways21 (for thinking that I could actually do this and giving me the push I needed to try)_

Elena ran through the grounds as the Burning of Atlanta and Rhett Butler distracted everyone in the town square. She had to find Damon, she just had to. He'd come to her that morning, desperate for forgiveness, basically his last death bed wish and she'd denied him. Not only that, but she'd denied him and then asked for the one thing he could not give her; time. He was running out of time to give her, and she was running out of time to find him. As Rhett realized he and Scarlett were running out of time before the Yankees could find them, she dashed behind the screen, her eyes searching the dark grounds desperately.

The music track played loud and ominous, almost a track for herself as she searched. She stopped then, she could feel him, she could smell his cologne, and then she heard him. "Elena." His voice was breathless, nearly faint and she turned around to see him standing behind her, the burning flames of Atlanta at his back. At first she didn't see anything all that wrong with him, aside from the pale and sweaty skin. "Damon." She moved toward him, her arms around him as he swayed and sagged against her. He was heavy but she pushed through and tried to move him. "Thank God, come on. We have to get out of here, we have to hide you."

"Where are we going?" he sounded far away and she watched his eyes fade out as if his mind was somewhere else. His lack of response made it harder to drag him.

He tripped and doubled over, holding his side as he tried to stand. She came around, her hand on his arm. He looked terrible and she felt her heart slowly breaking. "Relax, we need to get you out of here." Then all of a sudden he was up, and so was she.

She felt the harsh pain of being slammed into the pole, his strength returning for the moment, but his eyes still somewhere very far away. "I choose you Katherine."

Oh God, he was hallucinating. She tried not let the panic sink in as she fought to connect their eyes. "Look at me, hey! It's Elena." He looked up at her, searching her face, but not really her face. "It's Elena." His eyes darted from her face to her throat and he slowly leaned forward. She instantly realized what he was imagining, what he was thinking and she fought against him. "No Damon, no!"

"I have to." His voice was breathless, his eyes vacant. As he bent closer she could seen the veins darken under his eyes, heard the pop of his fangs as they slid into place. "If we are to be together forever."

The sharp pain cut into her skin and she cried out. "No, Damon stop. Stop, you're hurting me." She continued to beg, desperate for him to back off, desperate for him to wake up.

Finally her cries called him back to reality and he staggered back, shock and disgust on his confused face. "Elena." She watched him fall to his knees, all the strength gone as the memory of Katherine faded away. She held her hand to the wound on her neck and kneeled next to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Damon." She whispered, looking around for any kind of help.

The car wasn't that far away, but if he kept attacking her every few feet, neither of them would make it. She looked down at him, sadness and regret glazing his eyes. "I'm sorry." He mumbled, beginning to fight it near impossible to talk.

"Its okay." She tried to smile and pulled them both up. "I need you to walk a little more. Just a little more, where did you park the car?"

He pointed a few feet away and she nodded. "I'm sorry Elena."

"Shhh." She wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him across the parking lot. Thankfully everyone was watching the movie and paying them no attention.

When she got to the car she pulled open the door and helped him into the passenger side. She could see the bulge in his jeans where her keys sat and she laid the seat back so he could rest. She placed one hand on his arm, feeling just how cool his skin was. She had to hurry. The panic set in and she dipped her hand into his pocket, grabbing the keys and running to the driver's side. She drove like a maniac, all the time murmuring things to Damon, hoping she was comforting him a little. His hand reached out and grabbed hers, and she held on as he did.

She was scared, but she had to remember that he was even more scared. "Home." He mumbled, his head falling to the side.

"Yes, home." She answered, turning onto the street that would lead to the Boarding House turn off. Why did they have to live so far out of town? "We're almost home."

"Home." He closed his eyes, licking his lips. He was dehydrated, she had to get him water. She had to get him to bed.

The fifteen minute drive felt like three hours, and when she finally pulled up to the house, she calmed down a little. Just enough to get her to think straight long enough to get him out of the car, into the house and up the stairs. He held onto her for dear life as she helped him onto the bed. When she moved away to get a face cloth he gripped her hand almost painfully. "Shhh." She soothed, brushing his hair back from his sweaty forehead and smiling as warmly as she could. "I'll be right back."

He nodded slowly, unable to find much strength now that he was back in his bed. He knew why she'd brought him here, to die. Elena turned from the depressed state he was in and dashed to his bathroom, looking through cupboards. When she found the facecloth she ran it under cold water, taking a moment to look at herself in the mirror. She was terrified, she couldn't help it. This was Damon, Damon that had done so many things, hurt so many people and yet she couldn't stand the thought of losing him. It was all too much.

She tugged her jacket off and let it fall to floor, then splashed water on her face. She wished Stefan were here, anyone really to tell her what to do, what the right things to say where. She couldn't rely on anyone for this. It was her and Damon now, and that was the way she was going to let it be. Taking a deep breath, she went back into the bedroom, relieved to find that he was still laying on the bed. She went over to him, wishing there was something magical she could do or say to take his pain away. His eyes were closed and she wondered if he had fallen asleep, or worse…if he had already died. Then he whispered her name and she crouched down close to him.

"Elena."

"It's okay Damon, I'm right here."

"Elena get out of here." His face grimaced in pain, desperation heady in his voice. "I could hurt you."

"No you won't." she reassured him, shaking her head and wishing he would look at her. "I'm here until the very end. I'm not leaving you."

"Get out of here." He tried to yell, but only ended up screaming in pain, coughing out and grabbing his chest, her heart tightened and she couldn't take it anymore.

She got up on the bed with him, settling her body behind his. "Hey, it's okay." She reached down to rub his chest, feeling helpless, useless. "Shhh, it's okay. It's okay."

He coughed, letting his head rest against her chest. "It's not okay." He managed, repeating it once more and letting his eyes open slowly. "All those years I blamed Stefan, no one forced me to love her. It was my own choice."

"Shhh." She wished she could hold him tighter, but she didn't want to hurt him.

"I made the wrong choice." He looked up at her, something in his eyes she couldn't understand, but something she wished desperately she could. "Tell Stefan I'm sorry. Okay?"

She nodded, holding the cloth to his face and her breath in her lungs. She didn't want to think about telling Stefan anything. Telling Stefan that would mean that Damon wouldn't be around to tell him himself, and she couldn't think about that. "I will."

They stayed like that for a while, her just holding him and trying not to cry. She had to be strong, had to stay strong for him. With a little rest his voice slowly returned as his body seemed to stop fighting, seemed to accept that he was going to die. "This is even more pitiful than I thought." He still sounded like he was half asleep, not half dead, just half asleep.

She couldn't think dead yet, she just couldn't. "There's still hope."

"I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die."

"No." she shook her head and slid down on the bed next to him, allowing herself to let go, to feel her connection to Damon in the final moments. She would never get another chance to be here, in his arms and she couldn't bring herself to waste it. His eyes were closed, his lips white, and for the first time she allowed herself to see what it looked like to have him so close to death. "You don't."

"I do Elena, it's okay." He smiled slightly, relieved to know that she cared, glad that she was here to be with him. "Cuz if I'd chosen differently I wouldn't have met you." It was probably one of the truest things he'd ever said in his life, and she knew that. The realization hit her hard in the chest and she looked at him, searching for the right words. "I'm so sorry. I've done so many things to hurt you."

She shook her head, knowing exactly what she needed to say, exactly what he needed to hear. She forced herself to smile, even though she wanted to cry. "It's okay, I forgive you."

All a new pain came over his face as he spoke again. "I know you love Stefan, that it's always going to be Stefan." She couldn't stand to see the pain, she needed to be closer to him and so she lay her head on his chest, her hand over his. The tears wouldn't hold back any longer, and she let them fall, glad he couldn't see her lose control. "But I love you. You should know that."

She held onto him tightly, desperate to do something, anything. She couldn't return the endearment, but she could try to put a smile on his face somehow, one last smile, one last time. That's how she wanted to remember him, her Damon; smiling and laughing and trying to flirt her into submission. She needed that right now and she would have given anything to have him back like that. She nodded, wishing there was more she could say, more she could do. "I do."

She felt his momentary smile against her hair, wished she could have seen it, but she just couldn't lift her head yet. It was far too perfect just lying there with him. "You should have met me in 1864, you would have liked me."

That had her looking up, first to his eyes then his mouth. "I like you now," she fought back a new threat of tears and forced herself to hold on a little longer. "just the way you are."

He wanted to say something, but he couldn't find his voice. She watched his eyes close, knew she was losing him and suddenly she couldn't help herself. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his lightly, hardly an epicly romantic kiss, but one filled with passion all the same. "Thank you." He whispered, and she smiled when he did. That was how she would remember him; that was what she would take with her when this moment ended and she was all alone again. His eyes closed, any final signs of color fading from his cheeks. This was it, the moment was ending, she could feel it. The tears threatened once more, but another voice shocked them back.

"Well it's me you should be thanking." Elena looked back to see Katherine standing in the doorway, a bottle in hand. "I mean, I'm the one that brought the cure." Damon's eyes opened slowly, taking in the new sight. "I thought you were dead."

"I was." Elena answered, watching Katherine sit on the bed, opening the bottle.

"You got free." Damon said, his eyes heavy.

"Yep, finally." Katherine sounded slightly bored, slightly in a hurry to get out of town and yet she was still here.

"And you still came here?"

"I owed you one." She smiled, flattening her hand against his cheek for a moment, smiling slightly, making sure the cure was beginning to work before sliding off the bed.

"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked, looking between Katherine and Damon.

"Are you sure you care?"

Elena had been through enough already tonight and she didn't feel like deal with another vampire. "Where is he?"

"He's paying for this." She said, showing her the bottle. "He gave himself over to Klaus, I wouldn't be expecting him anytime soon."

"What do you mean, he gave himself over?"

Katherine shrugged, shaking her head. She couldn't even believe it herself what Stefan had done. "He just…sacrificed everything to save his brother, including you. It's a good thing you have Damon to keep you company." Elena risked a glance at Damon, relieved to see his was slowly returning to normal. "Goodbye Elena." She turned, then looked back, having to get just one more jab in. "Oh, it's okay to love them both. I did." She smirked slightly and tossed the bottle.

When Elena caught it, she was gone. Damon pushed himself up on his elbows, finding a little of his strength, looking at her, clearly terrified of what she would do or say next.

_a/n: okay, so there is the first chapter of this two shot. I will post the second chapter shortly, so no worries there, and it will hopefully have a little of the smut I'm so 'famous' for hehe hope you all enjoyed this look into the final episode ;)_


	2. After the Fade to Black

_a/n: here is where my internal struggle really began. We waited all summer to find out what happened after the scene faded to black, and yet when the first episode of season three came around, we got no answers at all. It was almost as if it never happened. That nearly broke my heart, I was like what? Elena turned around and walked out because Damon was okay now? No way, she would never do that. Sure, she's scared about Stefan, but here is Damon, inches from death just a few moments ago…and nothing happens, like nothing at all? I find it hard to believe and so here is my way of dealing with it. Happy Reading!_

_Dedicated to bibi 13ca (in honor of her birthday weekend) and loveyoualways21 (for requesting me to do this. I'm really glad I did!)_

The air was thick with hesitation, with confusion, with determination. The color had nearly returned to Damon's skin now as he slowly felt his strength seeping into his body. It was all too much, the near death experience, the flashbacks to Katherine, the kiss from Elena, the drinking of Klaus's blood. He didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. They stayed locked in each other's gaze for a few minutes, and then he simply couldn't bare the silence anymore. Couldn't stand the uncomfortable buzz between them. She watched every move he made, watching and waiting for him to do something scandalous.

He pushed himself up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, but only fell back in a fit of coughing when he tried to stand. That seemed to pull her out of her trance and she rushed the few inches to his side, uncapping the bottle Katherine had tossed to her. "Maybe you should have some more."

He shook his head, trying to catch his unneeded breath and push her away at the same time. "No, no more."

"Damon it will make you better." She held the bottle under his nose, the scent of blood tempting him into agreeing. "Good." She murmured as he drank a little more.

She watched his tongue dart out to lick his lips, lips she just kissed a few minutes ago. "I think I'm going to have a bath." Damon pushed himself up from the bed and started walking to the bathroom. "You can go now, I'll be fine."

She sat there, watching him; the hopeless feeling coming back. She wasn't quite sure how to deal with Damon Salvatore being weak and sick. He was always so strong, always so sure of himself. Another coughing fit had him leaning against the door jam, his fist pressed to his chest. She left the bottle on the bed and went to him, rubbing light circles on his chest and murmuring that it was going to be alright. "I'm not leaving you Damon." She looked into the bathroom, her eyes settling on the large porcelain tub. "Stay here, I'll run you a bath."

"Just go Elena." He shook his head, but she was already standing up.

"No." it was the only word she needed as she turned on the taps and fixed the temperature. She could see his body wash and shampoo sitting on the shelf in the glass shower and she went to it, setting the bottles on the floor next to the tub.

Damon watched her move with assurance, as if she done this before, as if she'd been in his room a hundred times. He had to admit, watching her there, seeing her take care of him loosened the pain in his chest a little more. Having her there with him, for him was the best feeling in the world. She ran her hand under the water, checking the heat and wiped her damp hand on her jeans as she turned back to him. They stared at each other for a few moments, unsure of the next move, unsure what they should do next, could do next. The bottom line was, she needed to get Damon into the tub and that meant he had to get naked. Taking a deep breath she walked over to him and held out her hand.

"Elena, it's okay. I'm sure I can do this part myself."

"Just let me take care of you." She said, relieved when he finally put his hand in hers. They hauled him up together and she led him to the tub, sitting him on the edge. "Why are you making it so hard for me to take care of you?"

"Because, you should be out looking for Stefan, and because the longer you stay here the better the risk of me saying something stupid. Doing something stupid."

"Stefan's a big boy, he can take care of himself, and right now you're too weak to do anything stupid." She took a deep breath and began unbuttoning his shirt.

Damon's hand gripped the side of the tub roughly, his knuckles turning white from the force when her fingers brushed against his skin. He searched her eyes, wondering if she was doing it on purpose. It was so unfair that she would do this, that she would be here like this for him when he was too weak to do anything about it. A few more minutes, that's all he needed was a few more minutes. If she stayed till after the bath he might be able to do something, say something to make her stay longer. He forced himself to sit straight as she pushed the shirt over his shoulders and down his arms.

"You have to let go of the tub Damon." She whispered, dropping the shirt on the floor once he'd released his death grip. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better." He watched as she knelt before him, pulling off his socks. "Careful."

"What?" she looked up at him, her eyes big and dark. He would have been lying if he hadn't admitted the sight of her before him didn't arouse something in him. Her lips slightly parted as she breathed, and he remembered what they had felt like on his.

"Ticklish."

"Oh," she smiled and was careful not to touch the bottom of his foot as she pulled off the last sock. "I didn't know vampires could be ticklish."

"We can still feel everything, every touch, every breath on our face. The luxury of senses and pleasure are not lost on us, thankfully."

Elena nodded, set her hands on her thighs and stood up. Now came, the hard part. "I'm gonna need you to stand up."

"Really Elena, if you're uncomfortable I understand."

"I won't look." She said, not sure if she was trying to calm him or order herself.

She reached back to turn the taps off now that the tub was full. "If I knew all I had to do to get you to undress me was nearly die, I would have asked Tyler to bite me months ago."

She glowered at him, unhooking his belt when he stood. "That's not funny."

"You're right, I'm sorry." He coughed again, but only once.

He looked down, her bottom lip was captured in her teeth, her forehead dented with a concentration line as if she were deep in thought. Her fingertips brushed against the skin right above his belt and he couldn't help the shiver that ran through his body violently at the innocent, yet intensely intimate touch. "Are you cold?"

"Huh?" the breath he didn't need was stuck in his throat and he had to clear it twice before he could speak again. "Oh yeah, a little I guess."

"Sorry." She said, and he wasn't sure what she was apologizing for exactly. The slow rate she was undressing him was perhaps one of the sexiest things he'd ever been a part of. "K, are you ready, I'm not gonna look."

"I'm ready." He nodded, watching her eyes shut tight as she pulled his pants to the ground. Her hands then lifted back up, searching for underwear, but only meeting skin. Her hand was dangerously close to brushing his hardness and while he would have liked nothing more for her to touch him, he certainly didn't want the first time to be by accident. "You aren't going to find anything Elena."

"Oh." Her skin deepened in it's already forming blush and she stood, opening one eye first and then the other, meeting his gaze. "Sorry."

"If you apologize one more time…" he warned, holding onto her hand as he stepped into the tub.

"Sorry," she mumbled, keeping her eyes on his until he was settled in the water. "I mean…okay."

Elena watched as Damon settled into the water and closed his eyes. She heard the low purr of pleasure in the back of his throat, shocked at how the sound aroused her. The heat from the water flushed his skin almost entirely back to normal and she took the opportunity of his closed eyes, to trail hers along his chest and abs. They threatened to go further, but she snapped them back to his face, seeing the remnants of his death sweat still there. It looked wrong, and she didn't want to think about him anymore like that, so she went to the cabinet and found another face cloth.

When she was kneeling back beside the tub again, Damon opened his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to stay?"

He was impressed by her self control, he wasn't sure he could have done the same had she been naked in the tub. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm staying." She smiled and brushed her and pulled her hair up into a ponytail before dipping the cloth into the water next to his waist.

Damon smiled and took the moment to look at her, his eyes settling on the bite on her neck. Regret and anger flooded him and he gripped her wrist, holding it in the water as he looked her over for anymore marks. "I hurt you."

She sighed, he didn't remember. Maybe that was for the best, she thought of telling him it had been someone else, but that would only start him on a war path to kill whatever vampire had harmed her. "It's okay, you weren't exactly…yourself."

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his thumb rubbing unconsciously over her wrist.

"Not so much anymore." She looked down at their hands in the water, careful not to look much further. "Let me go Damon." She whispered softly and he pulled back.

"I'm sorry."

"I said it's okay." She squeezed the extra water from the cloth and reached up to clean his face, stroking and brushing the sweat away. The water droplets made him glisten and she couldn't help smiling. He was so beautiful sometimes.

"I thought you were Katherine." He said quietly, remembering the memory that had caused him to bite her. "She'd offered me her blood, said we would be together forever, that we would keep it a secret from Stefan."

Elena only nodded, listening and running the cloth down his neck, over his shoulders, down his chest and back into the water. He didn't need her to clean him there, but she kept wiping with the cloth, down his stomach, blocking her view of anything enticing with her arm. "You know, I had a funny dream last night. I was standing in a beautiful bedroom, and you were with Katherine. She was asking you to come home from the war quickly. I don't know why I was there, but I could talk and you actually heard me."

Damon nodded, his eyes closing again as he enjoyed the feeling of her touch, even if the cloth was between her hand and his skin. "You were in my dream too."

"That's funny." She said, her voice low. It wasn't really funny at all, in fact it was curious and it made her wonder what other dreams they may have shared.

Her connection with Damon was indescribable, it was also too hard to ignore and she found herself tired of ignoring it any longer. She slowly let the cloth escape from her hand and float away in the water. Damon opened his eyes and looked down when he felt her palm press low on his stomach. Their eyes met, but he found it impossible to speak. He wanted to ask her, what she was doing, what she was thinking but he couldn't. He could only watch her eyes as they clouded and darkened with lust. The sight was almost too much for him and he felt himself grow harder, her hand so close.

"Elena, what are you doing?" his voice was slightly broken and she licked her lips, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry.

"This is wrong." She mumbled, her hand slowly moving up to caress his face. "I shouldn't be feeling like this. You're sick."

"I'm feeling fine." He said, smiling slightly. He did feel better, and with each touch the pain and the sickness slowly disappeared. She was all the medicine he needed now.

"I want to kiss you." She admitted, leaning over the tub so their faces were inches apart.

"Okay." He wasn't sure what else to say, but when her lips touched his, he brought his hand out of the water, and pressed the back of her head closer.

Elena felt his hand soaking her hair, but she didn't care. She leaned closer, slowly dipping her tongue into his mouth, almost entirely half on the tub, half in the air as she tried to get closer to him, without getting in the water. Damon growled and finally tugged her in, the warm water seeping in through her clothes. She gasped, but kept kissing him, the moment of intimacy refusing to be broken. His free hand slipped underneath her shirt, the wet fabric stubbornly refusing to move with a fight. He broke the kiss to trail his lips down her neck, kissing at the wound he'd made.

"Just how fine are you feeling?" she asked, guilty that she was thinking about taking him to bed at a time like this, but unable to resist at least asking as her body pulsed for release.

"Fine enough." He mumbled, his hand moving up to cup her breast under the shirt.

She sighed and pressed closer to him, kicking her shoes off and considering simply doing it right there, now in the tub. "I don't know what's come over me." She mumbled against his lips, seemingly unable to get enough of him as she kissed over his face and chest.

"Don't worry about it. Just go with it."

She nodded, and pushed herself from the tub, dripping water everywhere. She fought her wet shirt over her head and let it drop to the floor in a soaked heap before holding out her hand for him. This time when he stood, water dripping from his body she did look. She looked at every inch of him, memorizing each line of muscle, each curve of skin. He was beautiful, it was impossible to call him anything else, a dripping wet dark angel that now only had eyes for her. She could feel his gaze racking over her bare skin and once he'd stepped out of the tub, his lips were on hers again in an instant.

She was as wet as her body on the outside, as hot as his skin flamed against hers. She rocked her jean clad hips against his bare one, smirking slightly when he groaned at the contact. "How is it you were just minutes from death a little while ago, and now here we are about to have sex. I don't understand it."

"Me either." He shook his head, his fingers already making quick work of her jeans. Her legs were soon bare and he reached down to wrap them around his waist. "I'm going to enjoy it though."

She nodded, hissing when her back met the cool tile of his bathroom wall. The tips of her wet hair stuck to her back and she was sure they sizzled and dried when meeting her rapidly heating skin. She shivered and she wasn't sure if it was because she was cold, hot or just desperate to have him. "Damon, please."

"Please what?" he murmured, his lips against her neck, nibbling her shoulder.

"Bed," her hands slipped from his wet shoulders and she clawed at his chest, holding on as he rushed them from the bathroom wall to his bed. "you seem like you're feeling better."

He laughed slightly, crawling atop her on the mattress. "It's amazing how good the medicine of a sexy woman can work."

Elena blushed and tried to hide her face against his chest. She'd never thought of herself like that, and no one had certainly ever called her that. She breathed his name as his lips came down to meet hers, her back arching as he reached down to rub at her wetness through her soaked cotton. He growled and slipped his hand beneath her back, undoing her bra and hooking his fingers in her panties. She tossed the bar to the floor as he kissed down her stomach, dragging the light yellow boy shorts down her legs. When his mouth was on hers again she bucked up and wrapped her legs around his waist, rolling her hips against his. "Damon, mmmm."

"Tell me what you want." he whispered in her ear, his voice dark and tempting as he sucked her lobe between his teeth.

"More." She gasped as she felt the hardened tip of him rub against her, teasing her wet core. "More, please."

He gritted his teeth as he found her entrance, slowly moving inside her, allowing her to adjust and find comfort. Her nails dug into his back sharply as she bit her lip roughly. He smelled the blood on her mouth and quickly swiped it away with a lick of his tongue. "Gentle Elena." He murmured, smoothing his hands down her sides.

"I don't want to be gentle." She rocked up and against him, searching for the spot he'd brushed few times.

As their bodies began to move together in perfect sync, she felt herself losing control, losing her grip on reality. It was almost too much, the events of the night, the day all washed away and were forgotten as he moved inside her, bringing her to heights she didn't even know could be reached. Damon felt her clench tightly around him, pulsing as her orgasm tore through her. She cried and called out his name, as he moved faster, searching for his own release, hoping to lengthen hers. "I love you Elena." He sighed, his lips pressing kisses to her shoulder.

She didn't respond, and really he hadn't expected her to. Even on his death bed she hadn't been able to say the words and he would have been foolish to get his hopes up now that she would. Instead, she clung to him as they came down to earth together. She pressed kisses to his chest, to his neck, his lips all slow and passionate. When he rolled off her, he had a sick fear that she would run away now, but she didn't. She just lay there, waiting for her heart to return to normal. The adrenaline, the panic all the emotions that had kept her going drained out of her and sleep took over.

_The Next Morning_

Elena woke up in Damon's bed, fully dressed in her clothes from last night. They were dry and the bed was made. Damon was nowhere in sight, but the little bottle Katherine had tossed to her was sitting on the dresser empty. She remembered giving him a little more, but not watching him finish it. She remembered him coughing on his way to the bathroom, but anything ever that was blank, until the fuzzy memory of watching him sleep came through. It was almost like it wasn't a real memory. She sat up and looked around, but Damon wasn't there.

She would never remember their night of passion, she would never remember the second time he told her he loved her or the way she'd curled next to him as she slept. She would never remember the way she had woken up a few hours later, crying and calling for Stefan, or the pained look in Damon's eyes as his already broken heart shattered a little more. She wouldn't remember how he had compelled her into forgetting their first time, or how he had left her to sleep in his bed while the painful memory of her regret drove him downstairs and away from her.

She would just never remember.

_a/n: well, there you go. I know the ending is a sad, but what better way to make sense of the fact that the show totally brushed off what happened during the summer? Hope you all enjoyed it the same. I originally planned for a happy ending, but that just wouldn't be logical considering we all know what happened. Let me know what you think, and perhaps if you have any ideas of what happened after the screen faded to black on the last episode of season two. Thank you for reading! _

_p.s. new chapter(s) for 'Partners\ will be up later today._


End file.
